(1) Field of Invention
Class: PA1 426 Food or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions and Products PA1 804 Low Calorie, Low Sodium, Hypoallergic PA1 808 Starch Base Snack Product PA1 810 Energy Rations, e.g. Emergency Rations, Survival Rations, etc.. PA1 800 Geriatric PA1 801 Pediatric PA1 Peiser et al: 14% PA1 Kauraleipa: 15% PA1 Patton et al: 12.8% PA1 Schaeffer et al: 9-16%
(2) Background Art
Many and varied efforts have been made to increase the keeping time of bread and other baked goods and to retard the staling process. In connection with these researches and in researches involving nutritional changes, many substances have been added to breads and baked goods with varying results. A detailed look at each of these areas has provided the background for the instant invention.
Staling is a function of starch. It is a process of retrogradation involving the alignment and association of the linear starch molecules, amyloses, over a period of time resulting in firmness and reduction in soluble dextrin, characteristics of stale crumb. During the past century there have been a variety of approaches to the problem of staling. These can be classified into four categories (1) diluents (2) humectants (3) crumb softeners and (4) enzyme removers of amylose. Pertinent patents from 1877 through 1987 are illustrative of the categories. None of these approaches has been successful in eliminating staling in standard baked goods whose principal ingredient is wheat flour. Successes have been limited to delaying by a few days the onset of staling as evidenced by crumb firmness.